The Fated
by G-ChanSanKun
Summary: AU: As Sasuke massacres the shinobi world, Itachi is brought back to life. Together with Juritsu, they find themselves at the center of a "prophecy" originating from the gods themselves. It's a game in which their lives are at stake; without teamwork, they're doomed. "Entertain me for a while." Rated T for now. SasuOC. Official sequel to KRenee's The Arriving - read that first.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This story is a sequel to KRenee's _The Arriving_. It is a collaboration between her and I, but I've done most of the writing thus far. A link will be posted on my main page. Enjoy! Characters and concepts belong to their respected owners. This plot and OCs belong to KRenee and I.**

* * *

When Juritsu opened her eyes the first time that morning, she was greeted with a dazzling sunlight that pierced through the trees under which she had spent the night. Carefully and ignoring the soreness of her muscles, Juritsu pulled herself to her feet, glancing up at the morning light. It was very early in the morning, but she didn't want to eat quite yet.

She was nearly done, and the last thing she could bring herself to do at that point was stop. She hadn't wanted to sleep, but just sitting down to rest for a few seconds had put her in a seven hour coma.

She was dreading this moment since she had begun the process. She was afraid to see them again; when she had found the first body to bury, that of Shikamaru, he had decomposed so much that just the sight of it had her near a wreckage of a building, heaving the contents of her stomach until she had nothing inside of her.

She should've expected it; she was an irou-nin, and she knew the stages of death, should've known exposure to the elements would speed the process. But it never prepared her to see the same effects on the bodies of her friends.

Since seeing Shikamaru's corpse... no, she reminded herself, his body... she had learned to distance herself, to an extent, and steel herself for the friends she had to bury. Deep down, however, she knew that when she saw the three people she had considered family, it wouldn't be the same.

Nothing would ever be the same. She knew that, and yet...

She took her time walking down the empty streets, trying to block out the mounds with the flowers that she herself had created. She didn't need to look for them; the location and the sight of them were etched into her memory like an engraving in steel. She would never forget.

Rounding the familiar corner, her heart began to clench and race. Her steps slowed as she approached the end of the street. The shadowed lump in the sun had a flash of faded orange.

The brunette bit her lip, drawing blood. Her hands were trembling badly enough that even clenching her fists wasn't helping.

The blonde hair had fallen out; the eyes were closed and sunken, and she was sure the blue orbs had rotted away long ago. The sun-kissed skin was now shriveled and brown. But she still knew.

Excruciatingly slowly, she knelt down next to him, a small, miserable smile on her face. Her eyes were already beginning to water.

"Hey... Naruto..." her voice was quiet as she raised a hand, pointing it next to her and blasting a small hole into the ground. The smell was sickening, but she refused to let it get to her. It would make this miniscule ceremony undignified; she couldn't lose her cool in front of the boy she considered her brother.

Carefully, she lifted his body, ignoring the maggot eggs that fell out and onto her clothing, and gently placed him in the hole, setting to work replacing the earth over top of him. Her already calloused hands were blistered and bleeding from digging through the dirt as much as she already had.

"I hope you found your family in Heaven, Naruto," she continued, her voice thick, but she forced her smile to remain, "I'm sure they were waiting for you."

Patting the dirt carefully, her hands lingered over the new mound.

"Think of me, ne?"

She stood up, and turned, and as she walked, she allowed the tears the fall.

Kakashi wasn't too far away. His mask was still there, though his Sharingan eye was missing. Perhaps Sasuke had taken that, too. Respectfully, she left his mask up, keeping the face of her beloved teacher and father-figure forever covered.

Kakashi was one of the first people she had seen after returning home; he had looked out for her in his own subtle way, and waited patiently for her to be ready before he brought her on to his team. At first, she kept herself as close to him as she could; he was the only one she felt she could rely on for protection. Eventually, his guidance led her to develop her own independence. Still, he was her go-to person when she needed consoling and comfort.

She was positive, as she prepared the hole and buried his body, that he was reunited with his father, whom she had heard legends about, and they were catching up on plenty.

Juritsu smiled just thinking about it. Maybe it was her strange father-complex, who knew? Father this, Father that... she always relied on her father, literal or figurative. Though she was never was able to keep one for very long...

She saved this one for last; as she headed towards the Chuunin stadium, the images sprang forth in her mind.

It was almost as if it happened yesterday...

The smell of burning flesh had become the taste on her tongue that night. She had wanted to throw up, but she couldn't stop. She could feel the chakra spikes. Yes, someone was still alive, and they were fighting Sasuke. And she recognized the signature almost as well as she did Sasuke's. It was Sakura. She needed to go help Sakura, before she lost her too.

They were in the stadium, ironically enough. She knew it would take too long to go through the stands. Instead, she ran up and over the wall using chakra to stick, landing on the other side with ease. And there they were.

Sakura's one arm was bleeding profusely, and she had been healing it as she stared down the lone Uchiha, but Juritsu's sudden appearance had caught her attention, and she glanced over in surprise. She had reason to be surprised - Juritsu wasn't due to come home from her S-rank mission for another two days. It was a sick kind of luck that she returned when she did.

But it was also a sick kind of luck that she returned when she did. Her brown eyes widened in horror as Sasuke used the distraction to his advantage and charged towards her friend.

Desperately reaching a hand out, Juritsu began to run towards her.

"SAKURA!"

But she already knew it would be too late, and she watched as time slowed. Sasuke's hand, encased in Chidori, punched clear through Sakura's chest, and blood was gushing everywhere the sound was sickening and Sakura oh no Sakura's eyes are wide and disbelieving and her skin's paling and no no no no no no Sakura Sakura SAKURA!

Everything in Juritsu's mind blanked. She didn't even care that the murderer was right there. She had to get to Sakura had to help Sakura had to save the only friend that was left.

She had managed to cushion Sakura's fall with her body, and immediately set to work frantically healing the destroyed tissue.

"Hang in there, please!" There was still a chance; there always was! She could heal up Sakura and they could face Sasuke and defeat him together...

A pale hand had grabbed hers, and she could only stare in horror at Sakura's reassuring smile. The dark blood that trickled down the corners of her lips was a stark contrast to her pale skin, which was even paler than it should've been.

"Sakura," she cried, "I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay... Juritsu... It's not your fault..." she had breathed. Her voice was fading fast. There was no way Juritsu could save her. "I'm prepared... just... stay with me... for a little while... please."

Choking on a sob, Juritsu had grasped her best friend's hand.

"I won't leave you, I promise..."

And she didn't. She stayed and watched as the light faded from Sakura's jade green eyes. She listened as Sakura took her last breath. And she felt the warmth fade to an icy cold.

Juritsu squeezed her eyes, hunched over the mound she had just finished. Her hands were balled into fists, tightly clenching the dirt. The closest she ever came to having a sister, died in her arms. And the only thing she could do was watch helplessly.

"Oh my god..." she whimpered, breaking down completely as the pain finally came.

_Are you going to get in my way as well?_

"I'm so sorry..."

Juritsu buried her hand in her arms, not caring that she was resting against her best friend's grave, and cried harder than she had in her entire life, even long after her voice was too raw to speak, and her eyes were too dry to water. She didn't stop until the weight of her eyelids was too heavy to fight, and she passed out next to her best friend – the only girl Juritsu would ever call a sister.

...

A shrill whistle was what pierced the depths of her unconsciousness, and pulled her out of her dreamless sleep and into the present. Immediately, she made note of several observations. Firstly, she was no longer outside, but instead was lying in her old bed. The musty smell of unused furniture and rarely cleaned wood was recognizable as her house. Secondly, she sensed another presence in the house with her. She wasn't alone.

Narrowing her eyes, Juritsu silently drew a kunai from her nearby pouch, careful not to make a sound as she crept towards the kitchen and dining area. She saw a man, not much older than she, with black hair pulled back into a long ponytail.

"Sas…" her voice trailed off as she not only caught the attention of the man, but also realized that no, the chakra signature wasn't Sasuke's. She could recognize his signature from anywhere.

"I-Itachi?"

"You're awake," he observed as he walked over, moving to check her forehead for a fever. Before his hand could make contact, she pulled away, eyes wide in shock and disbelief.

"How? You're supposed to be dead."

Itachi began to look confused. "Why do you say that?"

"Sasuke told me that he killed you!" It was obvious that, at this point, she couldn't take Sasuke's word for anything anymore, but she knew that he was telling the truth with this at least. She had sensed the absence of Itachi's chakra not long before Sasuke's return. She knew Itachi had died. And yet, here he was.

"I…" Itachi looked worried, almost frightened, and most certainly bewildered beyond belief, "I don't remember…"

"Then why are you here?"

"I'm not sure what brought me here, other than an instinctive feeling to find you and make sure you were okay."

There was a pause in the conversation. Itachi finished the brew and gave a cup of tea to Juritsu, who took a tentative sip. Eyes hardened, she stared steadily at him for a long moment before asking, "How can I trust you?"

Itachi raised an eyebrow slightly. "You don't have to."

...

It was easier than he thought, killing Madara. He shouldn't have been surprised. He knew that the older Uchiha had originally wanted Itachi's eyes for himself. He also knew that Madara hadn't suspected a thing when he asked for the eyes. Destroying Konoha only cemented the Akatsuki leader's assumptions that he was on their side. It all worked according to plan.

Sasuke glanced up at the approaching storm. Everything was done.

_Almost…_ Sasuke turned to face the direction he could clearly sense his brother in. He didn't know how or why Itachi was apparently alive again, and he didn't care. It made the final phase of his plan that much easier.

He set off leisurely towards Konoha. At least with this it would give him an excuse to reappear in front of Juritsu, presenting himself to her on a silver platter. He was sure she would take the bait.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N This story is a sequel to KRenee's _The Arriving_. It is a collaboration between her and I, but I've done most of the writing thus far. A link will be posted on my main page. Enjoy! Characters and concepts belong to their respected owners. This plot and OCs belong to KRenee and I.**

* * *

It was dark everywhere. There were small flashes of orange around her, like fiery explosions, and yet there was no sound. Juritsu looked down and saw blood on her hands. She already knew it was Sakura's.

A noise caught her attention, and her head snapped up to see what it was. Sasuke's back was to her, and he was walking away.

_Are you going to get in my way too?_

"Get in the way of what," she growled angrily, beginning after him. Her fists were clenched tightly, "Why did you do it! Tell me!"

He continued walking, as if he didn't hear her. _Or he's ignoring me_, she thought as she picked up the pace. Now she was running. And yet, it was as if he was growing farther away.

"Tell me why!" she shouted.

_Are you going to get in my way too?_

"Don't screw with me! Quit dodging the question, you bastard!"

Still nothing. Moving as fast as she could, Juritsu was desperate to catch him.

"SASUKE!"

Finally, he stopped, turning around slowly. His Sharingan held an eerie glow to them, almost stopping her in her tracks.

"You really want to know?" he asked scornfully.

"Tell me, now," she demanded, her eyes flashing with rage.

"It was to test my capacity."

The words sunk in too slowly for her liking. Juritsu couldn't believe it.

"You're lying," she automatically responded, "Quit screwing with me, Sasuke. Tell me the truth!"

"I just did, Juritsu. Get over it."

She approached him once again. "You mean to tell me that you slaughtered our friends and family because you wanted to test your capacity? You're full of it, Sasuke!"

Sasuke chuckled darkly. "Friends? Family? I have none. You didn't know? Not even you mean anything to me."

Her heart was in a vice-grip. _Of course I didn't, you bastard! I never did!_ She leapt at him, driving her fist forward with all the intention to bash in his skull.

But her fist, as well as the rest of her, passed through his body. He was but a ghost.

"You'll never learn the truth," Sasuke had a broad grin on his face as he looked down on her.

"TELL ME!"

Only his laughter reached her ears as he turned and walked away again. This time, however, she couldn't find the will to get up and follow. Instead, she hunched over, slamming her fists against the ground.

"Why, why, why, why, WHY? TELL ME!"

"Juritsu! Calm down!"

A pair of hands firmly grasped her shoulders, shaking her slightly. With a strangled gasp, Juritsu returned to the present. She jumped up into a seated position, glancing around wildly. Itachi was there, staring at her in concern. Her fists were clenched tightly around the sweat soaked sheets. And that was when she felt _him_. There was no mistaking it. And what was even more disbelieving was that he was moving towards them.

"Are you okay?" he asked, just as her head snapped in the direction of the window. Her eyes were wide with an incredulous fury, "What is it? What's wrong?"

"We're leaving," she half-growled as she pulled herself out of bed, grabbing her things hastily. It could have been sheer luck. It could have been a mere coincidence. _No_, she thought as she strapped her kunai pouch to her belt, _his approach is no coincidence_.

"Where are we going?" Itachi was slipping his cloak on.

"To finish things."

...

"You found me faster than I thought."

Juritsu narrowed her eyes as she stared down the boy who had haunted her dreams since the night Konoha was destroyed. He looked slightly more tired than the last time she saw him, and there was a strange glint in his eyes – it was resigned, yet determined. He had something up his sleeve.

"I want answers," she cut to the chase immediately, "And you know exactly what it is I want to know."

"I can't tell you that."

"Why did you do it?"

"You wouldn't understand."

Immediately, her dream came to mind, and she lost her temper. "What is it that I wouldn't understand then?" she snapped in reply, "Maybe you should tell me, since those words will be your last anyway!"

Sasuke shook his head, "Even if I did explain it to you, you still wouldn't understand. There's a lot you wouldn't understand."

Juritsu clenched her teeth. "Tell me."

"I won't."

"TELL ME!"

Sasuke didn't reply. Juritsu's glare turned menacing, and she withdrew her elbow blades, loosely twirling them in her hands before assuming her stance. "Very well then. If you wish to take the secret to your grave, I'll happily arrange things so you will," she growled lowly.

The Uchiha stared at her evenly. It was clear that she had made her decision. With this, he would be able to repent without regrets. Except one.

This was exactly what he wanted, but he didn't expect for her hateful gaze to be so painful. Once upon a time, she loved him and willingly would sacrifice herself for him. _And that was before you betrayed her in the worst way possible._ Outwardly, he knew he looked cold and calculating; just like a monster. Deep down, however, he wanted nothing more than to explain everything, beg for forgiveness, and even go back in time to prevent the mess from ever occurring in the first place. His longing for her was stronger than ever and now there was no going back. He would never touch her skin, or steal kisses from her lips again.

Instead, he slowly drew his chokutou and assumed his own stance. This would surely be a fight to the death, and he already knew what to do for both scenarios.

Briefly, his eyes drifted over to his older brother. He still didn't know how Itachi was brought back from the dead. Currently, the elder Uchiha looked troubled, confused even. _I'm sorry, Itachi_, Sasuke thought as their eyes met, _this was probably the last thing you wished for. But I'm not you, unfortunately. I'm still your foolish little brother in the end, after all_.

Itachi looked concerned. Most likely, he had already figured out what Sasuke was going to do. Sasuke couldn't tell if he was worried because of what he was going to do, or what he had seen when they locked gazes. It would be okay, though. This was the redemption he was searching for; to be killed by the one whom he held most dear.

He turned to glance at Juritsu, and he couldn't have done it any sooner. Juritsu's eyes no longer had the anger and accusations. Instead, they were empty and calculating as she launched into a full sprint, weapons at the ready. Sasuke activated his Mangekyou Sharingan and took off towards her, enhancing his sword with lightning. He wouldn't easily go down without a fight; it would give him away, and besides that, he knew Juritsu wouldn't just kill him. She was too much of a pacifist, ironically, and would much rather fight fairly to the end.

Itachi could only stare in shock as the two clashed. The power between them was _immense_. At the same time, however, he was feeling torn. Just as he had met eyes with his younger brother, a nearly overwhelming urge to stop him from his suicide mission overcame him. Contradictory as it seemed to him, he felt that he had to prevent the two younger shinobi from killing each other, or else something bad was going to happen. The only problem was, _how_? Siding with either of them would ensure making an enemy out of the other. And would they even believe him if he were to voice his concerns out loud? Surely the phrase "I think if you die, the world will end," was as believable as "the Shodaime Hokage is still alive."

It was clear that the two of them weren't going to stop until one of them had fallen. The only way to stop them was to step in and explain to the other why he had protected the first. But who would be more reasonable? Juritsu would argue that she needed this revenge of sorts, that she needed to "make things right." Sasuke would argue that she was the loose end he needed to tie off, the final bond that he needed to break, the last person of Konoha that needed to die (of course he would hide the real reason behind his maddening decision to approach the one person who would chase him to the ends of the earth to kill him). But as the battle progressed, Itachi began to grow frantic; if he _didn't_ make a decision soon, then it would be too late.

Juritsu stumbled to the side after blocking a slash from Sasuke's sword; she used the momentum to flip into the air and right herself just as she was landing on the ground. And not a moment too soon, for Sasuke was moving through the hand seals of his more powerful jutsu.

"Katon: Gouryuuka no Jutsu!" An immense ball of fire, shaped like the head of a dragon, erupted from Sasuke's lips and careened towards Juritsu, who was speeding through seals of her own.

"Suiton: Suikodan no Jutsu!" The jet of water shot from her lips, slamming into the fireball. Juritsu's eyes narrowed and her water quickly turned to steam. _My Suikodan isn't strong enough_, she thought, terminating the jutsu early and quickly flying out of the way before the fire could reach her, jumping into the air to buy a little time to think of a quick counterattack. It didn't give her as much time as she expected. As she moved through the air, Sasuke fired several more Gouryuuka. She twisted around and dodged the fire balls as she worked her way over to the other side of the area, and landed. But Sasuke was there to meet her, and cursing, she brought up her blades to block the powerful upward swing from her opponent; the force of his attack sent her weapons flying. Acting more on instinct, Juritsu flipped backwards into a handspring, kicking the sword out of Sasuke's hands. The darkening sky was barely noticed as she continued to dodge his attacks.

The gathering clouds, however, didn't go unnoticed by Itachi, whose eyes widened in horror as he quickly recognized the trap that Sasuke was luring Juritsu into. He was going to use _that_ technique.

_Danger!_ His mind's voice screamed, _Go! Stop this fight right now!_

Meanwhile, Sasuke and Juritsu had broken apart from their grappling, and were now steadily staring each other down. There was a glint of what looked like some sort of sly triumph in Sasuke's eyes. Juritsu didn't like it one bit.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was thankful that his plan had worked. The conditions were right for him to use his Kirin. However, he was worried. He knew Juritsu was a powerful kunoichi, but at the same time, he knew how powerful the technique was. He also knew that if he wanted her to actually kill him, he had to back her into a corner, and the only way to do that was to overpower her as much as he could. What if he accidentally killed her?

"I didn't think you could get any stronger, Juritsu," he said as he carefully watched her.

Juritsu raised an eyebrow, "You've improved too much since the last time I saw you," she replied coolly, "I don't care how you did it. You were preparing for this moment, weren't you?"

Narrowing his eyes, he easily shot back, "I knew you would come for me someday. I'm not about to be some pushover for the likes of you."

Her killer intent was heavy, bearing down on him like a lead weight. He didn't let it deter him. "But that's also why I knew that if I wanted to finish this, I had to bring out my most powerful attack quickly."

"And it didn't work," she shot back hotly, "Dodging those massive fire balls was child's play."

"It did," Sasuke held out a hand, encasing it in lightning just as the thunder began to roll, "I'm glad I learned to mold my chakra with the lightning element. It's too bad I couldn't teach you before too. Maybe if I did, you could've stood a chance against this.

"The advantage to controlling this element, Juritsu, is that it also gives you the power to control the heavens."

Juritsu looked bewildered for only an instant; the next second, her eyes widened in realization and horror

"This attack isn't simply 'child's play' you can dodge," he continued, lifting his hand above his head to point toward the heavens, "But in a second, that won't matter. This battle is over."

He just barely heard her curses, and as she was taking off towards him, he summoned his technique. He could feel Itachi moving towards them as well; perhaps to prevent the inevitable from happening. But it was too late now.

"Kirin."

A huge bolt of lightning slammed into the ground, directly hitting Juritsu. The noise was deafening – Sasuke barely heard Itachi shouting "No!"

The one voice he could clearly hear, and he was sure he would never forget even long after death, was a long scream. Juritsu was surely in excruciating pain. And the very thought of it was making his heart wrench.

When the light faded and the smoke cleared, he found Juritsu, lying on the ground, barely moving. He could see her trembling – her muscles spasming from the immense amount of electricity that coursed through her body. Behind him, Itachi could only stare on in horror.

Smirking slightly to cover up the gut-wrenching misery he was experiencing, Sasuke slowly approached Juritsu, picking up his chokutou along the way. Soon, he was standing over her, looking down on her as she weakly glared up at him, half-conscious and fading fast.

"Sorry, Juritsu," Sasuke allowed the sadness to seep through his cold expression, "I'll always love you."

With that, he raised his sword.

"Sasuke, wait!" he heard Itachi's desperate voice, frantic to stop him in any way possible. _Too late, Itachi_, Sasuke silently replied as he brought his blade down with the full intent to stab her heart.

It didn't take him more than a split second to see the shadow behind him, a silhouette of someone leaping into the air; someone whose chakra signature he couldn't sense, and someone who hadn't been there before.

As he was turning around to deflect an incoming blow, the newcomer's hands fell on his shoulders, bringing him down to the ground as he switched his grip to Sasuke's throat, squeezing hard.

"She said to only get a feel for what the situation was," His lips curled into a positively sinister grin, "But if you're all this weak, I suppose I might as well just kill you myself!"

Sasuke grabbed the hands that were wrapping tighter and tighter around his throat, his lips parting slightly as his body tried to inhale. Not a moment too soon, Itachi appeared, his leg connecting with the newcomer's ribs and sending him flying away from Sasuke. The younger Uchiha spluttered and gasped for air as he sat up, wheezing from the pain in his chest. Itachi stood beside him, Sharingan spinning rapidly in his eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Sasuke pulled himself up.

"Why did you help me? You should be looking out for Juritsu," he croaked, rubbing his throat for a moment.

"Now's not the time," Itachi replied coolly as the stranger picked himself up slowly. His eyes met Itachi's for a brief second, before scoffing and quickly averting his eyes.

"Uchiha Itachi," He snarled, not even bothering to hide the pain he was in from his likely broken ribs, "For them to have chosen _you_ as the Guardian… Chaos must be pretty desperate for atonement."

There wasn't a pause between his words and the dark, shadowy wings that formed behind him. He turned away from them, glancing over his shoulder briefly and cackling madly, "I'll be seeing you soon, _Fated_!"

Itachi watched as the stranger disappeared from view before turning and hurrying over to Juritsu's motionless form on the ground, kneeling next to her and checking her vitals.

He heard Sasuke's steps behind him. Not bothering to glance over his shoulder, he said "She's going to be fine."

"What makes you think I care?"

"I don't think; I know," Itachi cut in, promptly silencing Sasuke, "You're not going to kill her. I won't allow it."

An exasperated sigh was the reply. "Then what am I supposed to do?"

"You're not going to kill her and she's not going to kill you. For now, I think we should all stick together," Itachi replied as he scooped Juritsu into his arms and stood up, glancing over at his brother impassively, "I don't know why, but I have the sense that if something were to happen to either of you, there would be dire consequences."

Sasuke scowled. "And what if I refuse?"

"Is there really anything else for you out here?"

Sasuke didn't answer.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N This story is a sequel to KRenee's _The Arriving_. It is a collaboration between her and I, but I've done most of the writing thus far. A link will be posted on my main page. Enjoy! Characters and concepts belong to their respected owners. This plot and OCs belong to KRenee and I.**

* * *

Her body hadn't felt this sore in a long time. So, did that mean she was somehow still alive?

"Wh…" she croaked, cracking open her eyes. Itachi was sitting next to her, and blinked when she began to stir.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, checking her over as she slowly pulled herself into a sitting position.

"I've… been better, I guess…" her voice trailed off as she realized there was a very familiar-feeling chakra signature in the other room. "_He's_ here?"

She was fully ready to spring out of bed and charge into the other room, but Itachi placed a hand on her shoulder, gently pushing her back onto the bed.

"You're not going to attack Sasuke," he explained simply, his voice smooth and his eyes apologetic, "He's not going to attack you."

She gave him an incredulous glare in response. Was he being serious? Sasuke was her enemy; why was he in the other room, and why was Itachi against the idea of them fighting?

"I explained this to Sasuke already," the Uchiha continued, "All I know is, if either one of you should die, something very bad will happen."

"Oh really?" she replied sarcastically, making her frustration well-known, "And what would that be? The inability to have a well-attended funeral?"

"I don't know, and I don't want to find out," he replied, suddenly wincing and rubbing his temple, "In any event, I have the feeling something's about to happen. And I think it would be best if the three of us stayed together. You don't have to talk to him, you don't have to interact with him, and you don't even have to look at him. All I'm asking is, until whatever's going on happens, we all work as a team."

Juritsu's brows furrowed as her anger dissipated and she studied Itachi's face with the scrutiny of the irou-nin she had been trained to be. His already naturally pale skin looked ashen, and there were dark circles under his eyes.

"Are you alright?" her voice was soft as she checked him over visually in concern, "You look like you're not feeling well."

"It's just a headache," he waved off her worries, "It's been a bit stressful since I… returned."

Juritsu gave him a sympathetic look. He was most likely torn between his brother and his friend and didn't want to have to take sides. And it really did feel like the world was ending all around them. While she didn't like the idea of it, it was probably best if they stayed together, at least for the time being.

"I'll… be civil with Sasuke, if only for your sake, Itachi," she spoke up quietly. She didn't bother holding back her reluctance. The man smiled reassuringly at her.

"Thank you," he helped her to her feet, seemingly satisfied with her answer, and opened the door for her.

Sasuke was sitting on the opposite side of the room from her door. At the sound of her entrance, he glanced up, and their eyes met. They didn't lock gazes for more than an instant before they simultaneously averted their eyes.

…

Something was wrong with Itachi, she just _knew_ it. Currently, said Uchiha was resting his head in his hands as he sat on the couch. He looked _awful_. Carrying a cup of warm tea, she approached and sat down on her haunches in front of him.

"You okay?" she asked, running her free hand through his disheveled hair while pressing the cup to one of his arms. His hair was wet, but she knew he hadn't taken a shower yet that day. He was soaked with sweat.

Slowly, Itachi picked his head up to meet her eyes. It seemed to be hard for him, as if his head felt to him like a lead weight. His eyes looked sunken and there were dark circles that stood out on his ashen, clammy skin.

"I've felt better," Itachi replied hoarsely. Juritsu's eyes were wide in disbelief. She placed the cup down next to her and pressed her hand to his forehead after pushing his bangs out of the way. To her shock and dismay, his forehead was incredibly hot.

"What a fever!" she breathed in amazement before grabbing the cup of tea, moving to sit next to him. She silently encouraged him to lean against her for support, and, with his head propped against her shoulder, she carefully pressed the cup to his lips. "Take your time drinking," she instructed patiently, "This has some herbs that will help with your headache. It might even break this fever of yours."

It took several minutes for Itachi to finish the tea; the entire time he seemed to be slowly deteriorating.

She helped lay him down, covering him with a blanket. "Alright, I know you're feeling awful right now," she said apologetically, "But can you tell me what's bothering you?"

"Head," his eyes were shut tightly in pain, "The pain is very severe, and I'm sensitive to light and sound. And my stomach has started to bother me."

Juritsu's brow furrowed in concern. "Your stomach? It recently started hurting?"

"And I feel nauseous…" Itachi's voice trailed off into a violent coughing fit. Juritsu, startled by the sudden onset, held up Itachi as he doubled over, clutching his chest with one hand and coughing wetly into the other. When he finally pulled back, his face flushed as he panted for air, the duo was shocked to find blood covering his hand.

Itachi let out a low groan, leaning over himself again. Juritsu, slightly panicked, supported his weight as best as she could. "I-Itachi?"

"M-my chest…" he wheezed out through his clenched jaw. Cursing, she helped Itachi to the floor, carefully laying him on his back.

"I'm going to grab some of my supplies in the other room," she hastily explained as she got up, "I'll be right back."

She bolted into her room, nearly ransacking the place trying to locate her herbs and serums. Something wasn't right about the sudden onset of his symptoms and the speed of progression of _whatever_ condition he had. And that was a problem in and of itself; how was she supposed to solve a problem she didn't have a name for?

When she returned not a minute later, she quickly realized Itachi's ailment had taken a turn for the worst.

Her supplies fell to the ground, and she didn't even notice as she rushed to Itachi's side, shaking him.

"Itachi? Itachi!" she called, finding to her dismay that his chest wasn't rising. When she checked for one, his pulse was gone.

"Damn it! What the hell is going on?" she half-yelled as she immediately began chest compressions, frantically hoping that Itachi's heart would start once again.

"What's wrong with Itachi?"

Sasuke didn't sound as panicked as he most likely felt. Either way, Juritsu didn't care.

"Hell if I know!" she snapped in response, "He doesn't have a pulse!"

Immediately, it seemed, Sasuke caught on to the urgency of the situation. "What do you mean you don't know? You're the only irou-nin left in the Shinobi Nations, and you can't even treat him!"

"Can you produce lightning?" She asked prior to breathing air into Itachi's lungs.

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"CAN YOU, OR CAN'T YOU! I NEED TO JUMP START HIS HEART!"

Sasuke gritted his teeth, kneeling down opposite from Juritsu. "Wh… tell me what I need to do."

"Place one hand over the right side of his chest," Juritsu explained quickly, indicating the spots, "Place the other on the left side of his ribs. Give a surge of 100 volts."

Sasuke didn't answer, furrowing his eyebrows in concentration. There was a snap, Itachi's body jerked, and Sasuke pulled his hands back, watching Juritsu as she checked for a pulse.

"No good," she muttered, "Do it again, only this time, use 150 volts."

"What if…" he began.

"Don't ask, just do," she cut him off firmly, "We don't have time for what ifs!"

They found, to their relief, that his heart was beating once again, only it was very spastic.

"This isn't good…" Juritsu thought aloud, "He's not stabilizing…!"

Itachi's body began to convulse. Juritsu managed to check his pulse, finding that it was once again nonexistent.

"Sasuke! His heart's stopped! Shock him again!"

The sound of footsteps reached them shortly after Sasuke's third attempt at reviving his brother. A voice spoke up from just outside the living room, "This is Polly Burinchet reporting back on Uchiha Itachi's summon…" A woman stood in the doorway, looking slightly out of breath and holding her wrist up by her mouth so she could speak into what looked like a large watch.

Her eyes widened as she took in the scene; the two shinobi leaning over Itachi's more or less motionless form, trying desperately to revive him. The color drained from her face, "This is Raphael. Status?"

"Dying." Polly replied quickly, lowering her wrist and hastily making her way to them.

As she kneeled by his side, Sasuke's head whipped up in her direction.

"Who the hell are you?" he snarled.

She glanced up at him for only a brief second, "I'm his Caretaker. How long has he been deteriorating like this?"

"What in the world is a Caretaker? And what makes you think I'll believe you?" he glared at her.

"Sasuke, we don't have time for this!" Juritsu snapped. Sasuke glared at her, almost hatefully.

"Since I woke up a few hours ago," Juritsu supplied hastily, returning Sasuke's glare steadily, eyes hardened, "It didn't work. We're increasing the voltage. Shock him with 250 volts," she grabbed one of the auto-injectors she had dropped earlier on the ground.

Sasuke eyed it suspiciously. "And what're you going to do with that?" he asked.

"It's cyanide. I'm going to kill him the instant you bring him back to life," she replied sarcastically, "What do you think it is? It's a cardiac stimulant! Hurry up and shock him already!"

As Sasuke applied the jolt, Juritsu quickly jabbed the injector into Itachi's thigh, hearing a click as the medicine was administered. She mentally counted ten seconds in her head before checking for his pulse.

"Thank God…" she breathed, "We got it back… It's not stable, but the only thing we need to worry about is his breathing…"

Polly sighed, sounding relieved as she brought her wrist to her mouth again, "He's alive. For now."

"Well, that's good. Are you bringing them?"

She rolled her eyes, "Nah, we're gonna sit here and have a tea party." Polly stood up, brushing off her knees.

"If you must know," She began, looking directly at Sasuke, "During his stay as a Resident in Hell, I was in charge of him. That's what we Caretakers do. Me and Itachi have an illegal contract, which is the only reason I was able to even come to the mortal realm."

The younger Uchiha scowled, averting his gaze to that of his brother, whom Juritsu was carefully tending to.

"I don't know how long he's going to be stable for," Juritsu explained once she had finished her ministrations, turning finally to face Polly, "Why did you come here? And I'm not asking for you to tell me about you being summoned."

Polly glanced at Juritsu, "I have to take him back to Hell. If he stays in this body, he'll die no matter what you do." She briefly looked him over, her brow furrowing, "He needs to be taken out of this body and properly diagnosed."

"Well then what are you waiting for?" Sasuke's voice was calmer than earlier, though the malice in it was still clear, "Juritsu said it already; there's not much time before he'll stop being stable."

Polly nodded agreeably, deciding it would be best to ignore Sasuke's general hostility, "The chariot is outside." She said as she walked over to Itachi's side, "You two are coming, right?" She managed to pick the limp Uchiha up, wrapping his arm over her shoulder and supporting all of his weight easily.

Impulsively, Juritsu and Sasuke shared a glance, the two of them immediately averting their gazes. Shaking her slightly, Juritsu glanced in Polly's general direction. "Since when were mortals allowed in Hell?" she asked skeptically.

The blonde smiled slightly, "You two aren't _just_ mortals. You're like special guests." She said.

The two clearly didn't believe her, but didn't say anything nonetheless as they, slightly reluctantly, followed Polly to the chariot.

The inside of the chariot was larger than it looked from the outside. There was more than enough room for the four of them.

"So, I'm guessing that there's a lot less of a romantic air between you two than what they told us." Polly observed as she watched the two shinobi across from her. Sasuke pointedly ignored the question, staring out the window, while Juritsu glared murderously at the woman.

She looked surprised at their lack of an actual reaction. Polly let out a sigh, "The world's gonna end after all."

There was an empty pause in the cabin for a long moment. The wooden chariot creaked softly as they gently touched the ground.

"We're in Hell." the driver called, "We'll be at the hospital shortly."

"Okay."

It was as the driver had said; only a few minutes later when they were getting out of the carriage, a nurse assisting Polly in getting Itachi out of it and onto a stretcher that had been supplied by a team of nurses.

"Straight to the OR," One of them said, before turning to Polly, "I'll take you to the waiting room. You can wait there while he's in surgery."

Sasuke watched them hurry away, his brother completely unresponsive as they began tending to him en route to the operating room. Juritsu eyed his clenching fists. Regardless of his feeling towards her and the rest of the world, he still cared about his brother and was clearly worried.

She sighed, irritation returning with a vengeance, and followed Polly to the waiting area. Just a few minutes later, Sasuke approached, taking a seat in between them. He had a smoldering, bitter gleam in his eye, but Juritsu turned away, staring at her hands instead. A long, tense silence fell over the small group, each waiting for news on Itachi's condition. It had felt like an eternity before a doctor emerged, noticing them and walking straight towards them.

"You're waiting for Itachi, right?" The doctor asked, glancing up at Polly, "Obviously." He glanced between the faces of the two shinobi, "The boy lives. He's in recovery right now, but he hasn't waken up yet."

Sasuke visibly relaxed, and Juritsu heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness," she breathed, glancing up at the doctor, "What was wrong with him?"

The doctor shrugged half-heartedly, "We have no idea. His internal organs, heart, and pretty much everything else started to spontaneously decay and otherwise fail. We've sent the body to the lab."

She blanched. "His... body...?"

He nodded slowly, "Yea... his body. He's got no use for..." A light bulb seemed to switch on in his head, "Oh! No, it's not a real body. The original body that Itachi was born with was unusable, so we had to make him an artificial one and attach his soul to it. He's fine. He's got no body, but that'll be an easy pro-..." Abruptly, a rather loud beep sounded off the doctor's hip.

He pulled a pager off his belt and glanced at it, eyes widening as he cursed. The doctor lifted his wrist to his mouth and spoke urgently as he took off running in the direction he'd come from, "This is an emergency summon-..."

"Hey wait, where are you going?" Sasuke called after him, standing up, "What's going on?"

Polly tapped her ear behind him, speaking up to clarify the current situation, "He's not getting better. In fact, he's getting worse again..." She mumbled, pursing her lips, "Raphael, whom you just met, is summoning Apollo and Askelpios for assistance."

Sasuke whirled around to face her. "How the hell is he getting worse?" his voice was frantic, "Raphael just said the surgery was a success!"

"Sasuke!" Juritsu suddenly spoke up, standing as well, "Polly has nothing to do with Itachi's condition! You have no right to yell at her for all of this!"

"And what the hell do you know?"

"I know enough to be able to tell you that yelling at everyone isn't going to save Itachi or make him get better any faster! You have to shut up and wait for the doctors to take care of him!"

Sasuke lost his temper in an instant. "If you had been able to take care of him yourself, he wouldn't be in this mess!"

"Well if you hadn't killed everyone, I would've had more resources to treat him!" Juritsu exploded.

"That's got nothing to do with this!"

"It's got everything to do with this!"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and through his clenched jaw, he growled "Then maybe I should've killed you after all."

Juritsu stopped mid-tirade, only able to stare at him in shock and disbelief, before a hatred unlike any other found its way into her eyes.

"Excuse me," Someone's icy calm voice spoke up from behind Juritsu, startling her before she could retaliate against Sasuke. She whirled around, very obviously mortified.

A pair of men stood there, looking marginally annoyed. One of them, looking older and much more stressed, spoke up, "This is a _hospital_, so I must ask that you keep your yelling to a minimum or exit the building."

Juritsu scowled, embarrassed at her lapse in common sense, and stalked over to the far corner of the waiting area, where she sank into a chair and silently stared out the nearby window. Sasuke had, by this point resumed his seat as well, looking in the opposite direction.

The stranger glanced at Polly, "Raphael called; where's the kid?"

"OR 34." She replied softly. He nodded and started off, his partner following him swiftly. She let out a rather loud, irritated sigh, before standing up, "I need to check on my current Resident. I'll be back in a while." She said to Sasuke.

On her way out the door, she paused beside Juritsu, "I can trust you to summon me when Itachi gets out of the OR, right? I have to check up on my Resident..."

She trailed off at the look on Juritsu's face and sighed, "He's not the nicest guy, is he?"

"Which one," she muttered bitterly, a resentful gleam in her honey brown eyes.

Polly smiled slightly, "Well, I got to admit; Apollo is pretty much the biggest dick in all the Heavens..." She paused, "But if you add the mortal realm, Sasuke's got him beat."

Juritsu's lips curved slightly for a brief moment of time before it disappear, sadness darkening her eyes. "I don't know what to believe anymore…"

"It's understandable," Polly replied, "It's unfair, and it's completely and utterly ridiculous. They say all things happen for a reason, though it's sometimes a really stupid reason." She glanced down at her wrist, "Whether it's a stupid reason or not, what's coming will come, and it'll be up to you three to deal with it."

Juritsu glanced at Polly in confusion.

The Caretaker shook her head, "I need to get going now, but if something happens, just say my name - Polly Burinchet - and I'll be notified and head your way."

Juritsu nodded slowly, stealing a very quick glance in Sasuke's direction before glancing back at Polly. "I'll call you when something happens.'

Sasuke watched as the two men who had broken up his argument with Juritsu earlier exit the elevator. The younger looking one, the apparent lackey, was staring at him rather blankly.

They walked right over to the lone Uchiha, the one who had spoken before making the conversation, "Your brother is out of surgery."

"How is he?" he asked slowly, unsure of what to expect.

"He lives." The doctor replied, "He's being monitored incase he gets cursed again. I'll be on call. Other than that, you're free to see him. He's in 534 on the sixth floor."

The younger Uchiha's brows furrowed in bewilderment. Cursed? Curses existed? Perhaps they did here in Hell, but he had never seen or heard of such a thing in his life.

He glanced over in Juritsu's direction. She was watching him and the doctors. He nodded his head before standing up, knowing she was right behind him, and the two of them headed up to the sixth floor.

Itachi looked like he was dead. His face was ghostly white, and the expression of sleeping induced by anesthesia only made it look worse. Raphael was in the room when they arrived, standing over the Uchiha with a scrutinizing look on his face.

"How is he?" Juritsu asked the instant she laid eyes on Itachi's motionless form.

The man looked up at them, "He's doing well, despite how he looks." He replied. "The stitches are healing a little slow, though, which isn't really good, but not really bad. I just wanted to make sure that there are no more surprises.

Sasuke's eyes were wide as he surveyed his brother. "Where did all these wounds come from?" he asked.

"Stakes." Raphael replied, "It's a high-level curse, and if Itachi wasn't who he is, he'd have been dead long before you got him here. The curse is basically just a bunch of invisible metal stakes that get driven into a person's body, and they cause anything from internal decay to complete shut-down of entire systems. Whoever cursed him had intent to kill."

"A curse?" Juritsu spoke up, "How is that possible? We were taught in the Ninja Academy that that was just a bunch of folklore and legend!"

Raphael nodded, "Well, for average, mortal human beings it _is _a bunch of folklore and legend. The person who cursed Itachi is no human. Luckily for him, however, Itachi himself isn't really human either." He looked up at the two shinobi in front of him, "Then again, you two aren't as human as you could be, either."

Juritsu visibly stiffened. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "I have yet to see anything that makes me less human," he stated.

"You curse seal's a good start," Juritsu muttered under her breath, earning a murderous glare from the young Uchiha.

Raphael chuckled, "Well, you wouldn't be able to see it. Your immortal selves date back to the birth of your souls."

That earned him equally incredulous glances.

Raphael shrugged, "Well, I'm not going to try and change your minds. You'll learn eventually."

He glanced at his watch briefly, before looking back at Itachi, "He must be really out of it. It's been 57 minutes already."

Just as he was saying it, Itachi stirred slightly, catching the attention of all the other occupants in the room. Torturously slowly, he opened his eyes.

"Where…?" He asked.

"You wouldn't believe us if we told you," Sasuke replied dryly.

"How are you feeling?" Juritsu asked tentatively, scrutinizing every inch of him in search of wounds or abnormalities.

Raphael smirked at Sasuke, "You're back in Hell. The body we gave you failed because you were cursed. You're really lucky that Juritsu's a trained medic, or you'd be really dead."

He glanced over tiredly, noting Juritsu's and Sasuke's presences. "How are they allowed to be here as well? They're living."

The doctor nodded, "I'll tell you exactly what I told them; they're not quite as mortal as you think, and neither are you."

Itachi rolled his eyes. "Well, I knew that. I died, or so I've been told."

"You did… I was there…" Sasuke remarked, looking slightly awkward about talking about his brother's murder.

Raphael sighed, "Not what I meant, kiddo." He glanced up at the door, and then at his watch, "Zachariel's late."

There was a series of loud beeps from the doctor's waist, and he pulled out his pager again, "Yes?"

"Raphael-…" It was Polly. They could all recognize her voice despite the terrible quality, "Can you bring some _fucking_ sedatives for Madara!"

Raphael blinked, looking surprised as he headed for the door, "Is he having his midday tantrum?"

"A LITTLE MORE THAN THAT!" he took his finger off the call button and turned to the others, "I can trust you three in here, alone, right? Zach should be along soon enough. And don't let him near Juritsu."

Without another word, he disappeared through the doorway, leaving the group in utter silence, though Itachi didn't look very surprised to hear that Madara was throwing a 'tantrum.'

"I wonder why he said not to let him near Juritsu." Sasuke pondered aloud, voicing the question of everyone in the room.

"Who knows…?" Itachi replied, his voice betraying a slight hint of curiosity.

Only moments later, there was a knock on the door. It slid open, revealing a brunette with a cocky look on his face. He was pushing a wheelchair that carried what seemed to be an exact clone of Itachi, though the doll looked more than lifeless.

He parked the wheelchair and placed a hand on the lifeless doll's shoulder as if to keep him from falling.

"You must be Itachi..." His gaze drifted over to Juritsu, scanning her body with a perverted gleam in his eyes. His smile grew as he completely disregarded the rest of the occupants in the room and approached her, taking her hand in his and smiling sweetly.

"And _you_ must be the famed Juritsu..."

The young woman was blushing furiously. "Famed?" was the only thing she managed to muster. Sasuke was glaring at the newcomer murderously.

The man, likely Zachariel, nodded reassuringly as he knelt down and kissed the back of her hand, "Of course... daughter of Goku, defender of the mortal realm... You've been the talk of the Afterworlds for hundreds of years, madam..."

Juritsu, clearly flustered, averted her gaze to the corner. "Oh…" she simply replied.

"I see you have my body," Itachi spoke up, seeing that Juritsu was feeling slightly awkward and decided to come to her rescue.

Zachariel looked slightly surprised at the sound of Itachi's voice, and took his eyes away from Juritsu to stare at him blankly. They could see the light get turned on behind his blue eyes.

"Ah! Yes." He said, straightening up and clearing his throat, "If Polly knew I was here, she'd kill me!" he said cheerily as he returned to the side of the doll. He stooped down to pull something out of a pouch attached to the arm of the chair.

"Tabul-Cain just wanted me," He muttered aloud as he skimmed the scroll, "To relay a message that probably won't make any sense to you until you're actually using the body…"

He glanced up briefly, before clearing his throat and reading, "Lucifer told me to make something that wouldn't be so easy to destroy as a regular body, but I think I may have overdone it a bit. The instincts will take a bit of getting used to. I advise a practice of using a stress ball until you adapt to the strength." He rolled the scroll back up, "And that's that. Ready?"

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Instincts?"

Zachariel nodded, digging into his pockets absentmindedly, "That's what the official title is, but I prefer to call it your very own personal danger sensor. I'm sure you noticed the minor panic and powerful desire to throw yourself between Sasuke and Juritsu before they killed each other." He grinned, tugging a piece of what looked like chalk out of his pocket, "That was something Lucifer wanted in your head."

Juritsu spoke up before Itachi could. "What's that you're holding?" She asked, indicating what the angel had pulled out of his pocket.

He took the doll's hand and started drawing on its palm, "It's kind of like chalk, except that we use it to draw binding seals. Its how we put dead people back into their bodies, on the rare occasion that it's actually necessary." Whatever he had drawn, it wasn't showing up on the hand. He straightened up and walked over to Itachi, extending his hand expectantly, "With my very own method, all Itachi will have to do is shake hands with his new body, and voila, he's back in business..."

Itachi nodded, holding out his hand and watched at Zachariel repeated the process on his hand as well.

Once he had finished his art project, Zachariel gave Itachi a once over with his eyes, "Alright," He said, indicated the doll, "Might be a little cold to the touch, but it'll warm up once you start breathing and stuff."

Itachi observed the lifeless doll silently for a brief moment before reaching forward and grasping its hand. Zachariel was right; the skin was freezing.

The room was enveloped in a blinding white light. The brightness dimmed and Juritsu and Sasuke looked back up, blinking the dots out of their vision. Itachi was stirring slightly, a violent tremor of shivers wracking his new body.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N This story is a sequel to KRenee's _The Arriving_. It is a collaboration between her and I, but I've done most of the writing thus far. A link will be posted on my main page. Enjoy! Characters and concepts belong to their respected owners. This plot and OCs belong to KRenee and I.**

* * *

Itachi experimentally clenched and unclenched his fists. It had been two days since their return from the Afterlife, and it seemed that he was adjusting to his body well. There was still a strange feeling through his limbs, almost like a tingling sensation – it had been slowly fading away, but hadn't quite yet disappeared completely – that mainly affected his arms and legs. Juritsu had looked him over and found nothing out of the ordinary, so he had decided to ignore it until something new came along.

A noise pulled him from his thoughts, and he glanced over at his little brother, who had entered the room.

Sasuke appeared to be searching for something, and Itachi couldn't get the better of his curiosity. "What is it?"

The younger Uchiha glanced over at his older sibling briefly before looking around the room once again. "Where's Juritsu?" he asked, sounding casual.

"She's fishing," Itachi replied in amusement, "You shouldn't be so worried about her. She's a very capable kunoichi."

Sasuke glared murderously as Itachi chuckled, his pink-tinted cheeks making the look less menacing. "I'm not worried," Sasuke half-spluttered, "I was just curious!"

"You aren't going to be able to keep this up forever," Itachi cut him off mid-tirade. Sasuke immediately silenced, his gaze falling to the floor.

"When are you going to be honest with her, and with yourself?" the elder brother continued, "You don't hate Juritsu."

"… You saw what I did to her, didn't you?" Sasuke's voice was quiet, bitter, and angry, as his hands clenched into fists, "Without showing any remorse, I almost killed her. And that is only the beginning… I don't deserve any forgiveness from her."

"So what will you do?"

"I'll continue to nurture her hatred towards me. When all this is over, I'll leave, disappear from her life forever."

"Juritsu is someone who will eventually move on, in time, Sasuke," Itachi replied thoughtfully after a break in the conversation, "She won't hate you forever."

A glint, flicker of emotion crossed Sasuke's expression, before he averted his gaze. Before he could reply, a noise from outside and a familiar chakra signature alerted the brothers to the return of Juritsu. When they went out to see what she caught, they were astounded at the size of the fish, which made Juritsu look like a mere twig in comparison.

She had a satisfied grin on her face as she indicated the fish. "I caught a big one."

The brothers were speechless for a moment before Itachi chuckled slightly to himself, earning a bewildered glance from Sasuke.

"Some things haven't changed," he muttered, mainly to himself in amusement before disappearing back into the house.

...

Itachi's lungs burned from the smoke. The stench of blood filled the air. Everything was up in flames. What was this…? It was all so surreal as he walked down each road, eyes wide in disbelief. Yet he still recognized the buildings and monuments, the streets, the corpses on the ground.

This was Konoha.

He didn't recall hearing about its fall before his ill-fated battle with Sasuke, and there was a blank between then and when he found himself in Fire Country, in the woods after opening his eyes again. No one he had come across seemed to be able to tell him what'd happened. But he saw the devastation when he found Juritsu, asleep next to an unmarked grave. Her eyes had been puffy; it was obviously she had been crying before he found her and took her back to her house. But standing here now, in this inferno, he was able to see what and why.

He watched, with a sinking feeling in his chest, as his younger brother thrust his Chidori through the chest of Konoha's jiinchuriki. Sasuke must've killed them all. There must've been a reason. What'd happened between their fight and his waking back up? The only thing that he could think now was the mission that had been given to him long ago, had failed.

A strange voice, sounding like a man and a woman at the same time, echoed in the air, and he looked around, Sharingan spinning rapidly to try and find the source. "Come out," he growled.

"Silly Guardian…" the voice giggled, the sound too malicious to be innocent, "I don't care if you win. I don't mind if you lose. Just entertain me for a while."

Instinctively, he reached for his kunai pouch. It wasn't there. He continued to search through the destruction for that presence. Had it somehow contributed to the massacre of Konoha? Furthermore, that was the second individual to call him 'Guardian.' What did _that_ mean?

"Who are you?" he asked, voice calm despite his confusion as to the strange voice. The only answer he got was another giggle.

"It'd be best if you didn't sleep too much longer, Guardian. You might die."

What…?

"ITACHI! GET UP!"

The Uchiha's eyes flew open as he was suddenly aware of his shoulder being roughly shaken. His vision focused on his younger brother.

"We're being attacked." Sasuke must've seen the question in his expression before he had a chance to ask. Sure enough, an explosion outside rocked the room, knocking over various items from their perches atop the tables. Itachi hastily sprung to his feet, putting the pieces of the situation together. Juritsu was outside taking on whoever the intruder was; judging from the noises, it was clear that she was facing someone powerful.

Wordlessly, he nodded to his younger brother, and the two of them hurried outside. They found her furiously clashing with a strange man. Another man and a young woman were standing just beyond the fight, seeming to simply be watching the scene unfurl. Whoever it was that Juritsu was fighting, however, was on par with her… he was powerful, that was for sure.

As they were running across the clearing to them, Itachi spoke up. "Sasuke…"

He didn't need to say anymore; Sasuke was already moving through the hand seals. "I got it. Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu!"

A huge fireball erupted from his lips as he sent the attack careening towards Juritsu's opponent. The fireball didn't make it to its intended target; one of the alleged spectators flew over the battling duo and deflected Sasuke's Goukakyu, sending it hurtling back towards the Uchiha brothers. They jumped out of the way, landing in similar crouched fighting stances; Itachi holding out a kunai, Sasuke drawing Kusanagi. They quickly found themselves staring at the man who was originally watching the fight from the other side of the clearing.

"Who are you?" Itachi demanded.

The man frowned slightly, "Phobetor," He replied, slowly raising his hands a few inches away from his hips as they began to emit a dark red aura. "The Guardian and the first of the Fated. I'm honored to fight you."

Neither Uchiha let their confusion show through as they simultaneously activated their Sharingan. Slowly and surely, they were accumulating more questions and no answers. What was going on? Why were they being called 'Guardian' and 'Fated'? Who were these people, and why did they seem to target their lives?

If Itachi had blinked, he would've missed it. One instant, they were staring down this 'Phobetor' character, and the next instant, Juritsu was in front of them, roughly grabbing the two of them and sprinting forward, away from the attackers.

"Don't let go," she instructed, and before he could even wonder what'd happened, Konoha was gone. As she released them and stepped back, he found himself in the middle of a forest. If one listened, the sounds of a waterfall weren't too far away.

"What…?" he heard Sasuke utter, completely amazed.

"It's a technique my father taught me a long time ago," her tone was slightly apologetic, "It's… like a teleportation jutsu… I think."

"Who were they?" he asked her, "Do you recognize them?"

She shook her heard. "I sensed their presence and went out to confront them before they could get any close to my home. All I know is, the one who attacked me called himself 'Epiales.' I've never heard of a name like that before."

He nodded. "Did they tell you anything else?"

Juritsu paused to think. "There was one other thing, actually. Right before he attacked me, he'd called me 'the second Fated.' I don't know why."

Again with the strange name. Even stranger was the similarity between Sasuke's nickname and hers. Were they connected somehow? And what about the Guardian? What did that mean?

Before he could say anything else, Sasuke spoke up first. "Juritsu?" The kunoichi in question had an intense look on her face, staring into the trees as if she were searching for something. Suddenly, she ran forward, shoving the two of them aside.

"MOVE!" She threw her arms up, her palms facing forward as a glowing ball of light suddenly tore through the trees, hurdling towards them. The sheer power inside that sphere was such that it generated gusts of wind that nearly knocked over trees. The brothers used their chakra to adhere to the ground, lest they'd be blown away. And Juritsu remained unmoving, unflinching.

"JURITSU!" Sasuke yelled over the noise, but she paid no heed. They watched, stunned as the ball of energy slammed into her hands, the resulting sound akin to thunder. It pushed her along, steadily backwards, and they jumped out of her way as she slid past them, not hesitating to follow after her. They felt her energy, crackling in the air around them, as she redirected the ball and sent it flying into the sky with a long shout. The resulting shockwave of energy blew her backwards, through the thinning trees and onto a large cliff.

They caught up to her quickly, Itachi helping her up. She was panting lightly, sweat covering her blow.

"Are you alright?" he asked her. She was staring past him, in the same direction the ball of energy originated, as she straightened up and crouched into a fighting stance.

"I'm fine," she replied, voice steady if not slightly hardened with anger, "But my condition isn't important right now."

It was seconds after she finished that the trio from earlier emerged from the forest. Itachi and Sasuke immediately assumed a fighting stance as well. Besides Phobetor was the young woman who seemed to have the least interest in the fight, and she looked to be barely awake. He sat her down by a tree, muttering something to her. The words were unrecognizable, like a completely different language. It certainly didn't sound like Japanese.

The one who had been fighting Juritsu, Epiales, strode forward, seemingly prepared to take them all on at once.

"That was a pretty smooth move, honey," he taunted, cackling maliciously, "You got me all aroused and then ditched!"

Juritsu cursed under her breath, clearly angry with the situation. "He's fast," she muttered to the two Uchiha, "I transported us one-hundred miles away, and for him to have tracked us down and caught up in minutes…"

The brothers were astounded. They'd covered that distance in less than a second. Nevertheless, it portrayed how serious their opponents were about finding them. But _why_?

"Unfortunately, your sexual urges are of no concern to me," she shot back to Epiales, "The only thing I care about is sending you and friends running with your tails between your legs!'

Phobetor walked forward to stand next to his apparent partner in crime, "She wants the Guardian alive," He said, plenty loud for their opponents to hear.

"But he's supposedly the most dangerous." Epiales retorted, looking suddenly annoyed, "She's such a damned brat."

Phobetor cleared his throat loudly, raising his hands again and emitting the same crimson aura from earlier, "Just incapacitate him. The other two can be killed."

"Like I'd let you!" Juritsu leapt into the air, hands moving through seals. "Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu!" She conjured up a grand fireball, sending it hurdling towards their opponents. As he had with Sasuke's, Phobetor stepped in front of Epiales and swatted Juritsu's fireball back at her. Epiales strutted around his partner and flew through the fireball. He came out the other side, eyes widening slightly when he found that Juritsu wasn't where he had been sensing her. She must've moved at the last second.

He hovered just off the edge of the cliff for a split second before rushing at the trio.

They all brought up their stances. "Get ready," Itachi muttered. The other two nodded. Epiales engaged Juritsu almost instantly; he clearly enjoyed fighting her. Phobetor cut in front of Sasuke before he could assist and fired a blast of heat and foul, black energy at him. Eyes wide, he dove out of the way, letting loose several kunai. The kunai cut through the air, none of them hitting their intended mark as Phobetor easily dodged them. Just as he was getting his bearings back to find and attack Sasuke again, Itachi stepped into his path, Mangekyo Sharingan spinning rapidly.

"Your fight is with me," he stated.

Sasuke smirked as he saw Itachi take over. He'd never admit it aloud, but he knew Itachi would be able to handle Phobetor, for the time being. That would give him a chance to assist Juritsu in overwhelming Epiales.

He had good timing. Just as he was approaching them, Juritsu was springing back away from Epiales. Sasuke quickly pulled out shuriken, making sure the metal wires were attached, before letting them fly, whizzing past Epiales, who stopped to see what Sasuke was up to. With a twitch of his fingers, the metal wires wrapped tightly around the man, and Sasuke didn't hesitate as he went through hand seals.

"Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu!" the flames shot along the wires, heading toward Epiales at a fast rate.

Epiales cackled maniacally, ignoring the wires as they dug into his flesh when he forced his arms away from his body, effectively snapping the wires before the flames could reach him.

"If a Sharingan user's gonna join this fight..." He laughed again as the world around them began to distort, "Let's see who's the best magician, Uchiha!" He spat the name like it was an insult in itself. A moment after he had spoken, Sasuke found himself on a familiar road, the memories of the massacre still as fresh as ever.

But this wasn't Tsukuyomi, and he could feel that this illusion wasn't as powerful, even if it looked the same, and even if his stomach was clenching just as tightly as Itachi brought his blade down on their parents. And he had a trump card now: Itachi's old eyes and the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. If there was anyone who was worthy of claiming title of 'best magician,' Sasuke was that person. He smirked, the tomoe in his eyes changing to the pattern of his Mangekyo. The illusion world warped into a new setting. Epiales was now tied up against a wooden post.

Sasuke strolled up to him, Kusanagi drawn. "You should've known better than to challenge an Uchiha at genjutsu."

Epiales shrugged, "It was worth a try, right?" Abruptly, the illusion was dispelled, barely a split second having passed. Epiales was flying towards him, clawed hand raised. Sasuke cursed under his breath, bringing his arms up in a shield. Epiales was moving far too quickly for him to have any time. Suddenly, Juritsu was in front of him, hands holding a small ball of light and thrusting it forward. Unexpectedly, Epiales sliced through the ball. An immense explosion resulted, rocking the land. The younger Uchiha was thrown off his feet. What was that? It didn't feel like chakra, so what was it?

Through the dust, Sasuke's Sharingan could see the chakra form of Juritsu, tumbling away. He realized only an instant later that she was pitching over the cliff. She was about to fall to her death…

His feet moved before he even thought to, springing forward and grasping her wrist tightly. The waterfall roared next to them. His momentum caused him to topple over as well, but he managed to grab hold of the edge. Only a second later though, his grip slipped, and they were falling once again. The rock was wet from the cascading water; there was no way he could've kept hold without using chakra!

He felt the sensation of changing direction, and suddenly Juritsu's arms were wrapped around his waist. The cliff's edge, rather than drifting away from him, was now coming towards him at a rapid pace. They flew past it, hovering over the battlefield. Itachi and Phobetor were still fighting, but that was merely at the back of Sasuke's mind. Instead, he was trying to move past the shock of the realization that Juritsu, indeed, was flying, and seemed to be doing so on her own. Then he was hit with another stark realization; rather than letting him fall to his death, she'd caught him, and carried him back up to safety.

"Wh…" he tried to voice his astonishment, but his words died on the tip of his tongue.

It wasn't a big deal, anyway. She didn't seem to be paying attention to him. Her murderous glare was focused on Epiales, and Epiales alone.

"Juritsu!" Simultaneously, Juritsu's and Sasuke's head whipped in the direction of Itachi's voice. Phobetor was firing another black ball of energy towards them. Sasuke heard Juritsu scoff in his ear, and he felt her dart to the side.

"You're looking the wrong way!" They turned in time to see a huge ball of energy feet away from hitting them.

"Damn!" Sasuke felt her whirl around, arms tightening around his waist. What was she…?

The noise was deafening. The sensations weren't what he was expecting, however. There was a burst of heat on his back, and he felt Juritsu jerk forward, her grip around him loosening. Then, they were falling again.

"Juritsu?" He maneuvered himself around to get a look at her face. She was unconscious, and it didn't look like she was going to wake up anytime soon. Sasuke cursed profusely, wrapping his arms around her tightly, and bracing for impact. Idly, he wondered if either of them would survive the fall, and he wondered if he would even be awake to find out.

Then, he thought nothing at all.

...

It was like an alarm going off in his head –_DANGER! DANGER! DANGER!_ His feet were moving before his mind was registering that he couldn't see Sasuke and Juritsu anymore. He pivoted around Phobetor's outstretched shadows, dodging hands that tried to reach him. His ears were ringing with that siren – _DANGER! DANGER! _ – And he almost didn't see Epiales rushing towards him because his eyes were locked onto the edge of the cliff; his current goal.

Phobetor joined his partner in an instant, the duo standing in his way. The shouting was increasing in volume as he felt Juritsu and Sasuke's chakras flicker for just the briefest of seconds, and his vision was suddenly swimming in red blood.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" He roared, _Amaterasu!_

The black flames erupted on Phobetor's shoulder, and they spread faster than Itachi remembered them being able to. Epiales was distracted for only a moment, and Itachi took that brief opportunity to dart forward. He flew past them, moving faster than he was used to.

_Please be alive please be alive please be alive please be alive please be alive_ …

He was about to jump when something caught him around the waist and threw him back across the clearing. Phobetor was back in the game again, the burns on his body clearly showing that the Amaterasu he had summoned hadn't been a hallucination. But, of course, Itachi hadn't expected them to be able to douse his black flames.

And now he was back to the starting point.

"Katon!" he moved through the hand seals easily, "Goukakyu no Jutsu!" The fireball was bigger than he had intended, but it didn't feel like any more than the usual amount of chakra was drained. It launched at the two men standing in his way, and he followed it, running just behind it and hoping that it would be enough so they would have to dodge far enough out of the way so there'd be an opening for him to get through.

Phobetor caught it, the ball shrinking down to the size of his fist in an instant. He was trying to crush it, perhaps diffuse the jutsu altogether. Itachi cursed as he paused in his steps, ignoring the waves of pain that exploded behind his eyes and activating Amaterasu again. Just as Phobetor's hands erupted into fire yet again, just as the ball of pure energy suddenly exploded and set waves of heat and raw power across the cliff's edge, and just as Itachi thought for sure that at least one of them would be down for the count, he felt something tearing through his back, ripping apart everything it came in contact with.

Then he noticed that Epiales was no longer standing beside Phobetor. How could he have been so careless?

Epiales pulled his hand back, pulling back through Itachi's torso, "Sorry, Phantasos," He chuckle, "I seem to-…"

But he trailed off into silence.

Itachi's right leg came forward before he fell to the ground, catching him. A bluish-white aura created a haze around his person, growing until it was coming off him like a thick, billowing smoke.

The Uchiha turned faster than Epiales could've dreamed. He moved just as fast, if not faster, than Juritsu had. Phobetor was running towards them, barely able to stand with the countless burns and fresh injuries from that explosion. They hadn't expected a simple Goukakyu to even be capable of holding that much power.

"EPIALES!" His distraction cost him. He pulled back, but Itachi's fingers wrapped around his throat, and squeezed.

The air was quiet, despite Phobetor's yells, despite the feeling of blood and flesh squelching beneath his fingers as Itachi constricted the airways of Epiales' throat. He continued to tighten his grip until the flesh holding his enemy's head to his body split away from itself. Blood splattered everywhere, drenching Itachi's front in red as the head hit the ground and the body collapsed into a heap.

The ringing in his ears wouldn't stop, and the darkness became absolute. He could only distantly hear the shouting in his head at that point – _DANGER! DANGER! DANGER!_

When he opened his eyes, Phobetor and that sleepy young woman were gone. He was standing at the edge of the cliff, the spring of a jump aching in his legs. And when he stepped back and turned around, all he could see across the ground of their battlefield was blood.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N This story is a sequel to KRenee's _The Arriving_. It is a collaboration between her and I, but I've done most of the writing thus far. A link will be posted on my main page. Enjoy! Characters and concepts belong to their respected owners. This plot and OCs belong to KRenee and I.**

* * *

Juritsu's eyes fluttered open. Her back ached… that had been a powerful ki blast. She didn't remember anything after taking the hit…

_Itachi… Phobetor… Epiales…_

Eyes widening, she shot up, glancing around wildly before wincing in pain.

"We're safe, for now," Sasuke's quiet voice caught her attention, and she glanced over at him. He was sitting in front of a small fire, his shirt missing. Blinking, she glanced at herself, finding that he had used it as a blanket for her. There was a musty smell about them.

"What happened?" she asked, not entirely sure what else to say, "Where are we?"

"The explosion knocked you out, and I think we fell into the river. When I woke up, we were on the riverbank. I found this cave, and brought you here. I figured it'd be smart to lay low and recover where no one can easily find us," he was still quiet. Actually, to her, his voice sounded almost subdued.

Juritsu nodded slowly, absorbing the new information. "Has… Itachi…"

"I don't know where he is. I can't feel his chakra signature. Since that means any number of things, I don't know what his condition is."

As Sasuke's words sank in, Juritsu sought out Itachi's chakra. She, too, came up with the same results. And it really could've meant anything. Deciding to try a different approach, she searched for his ki. It was very faint. He could've been extremely weak or extremely far away – how far downstream had they traveled before they washed up?

Another question that had he quietly nagging her was, how _did_ they end up on the riverbank? From what Sasuke had told her, they both had been unconscious until after the fact, so they were unable to pull themselves ashore. Had someone rescued them? And, if so, who and where were they?

"I can feel his ki," she decided to mention aloud, her voice quiet. She really _didn't_ want to be working with someone who she was fighting to the death just days prior, but in a situation such as this one, did she really have a choice? She could only wonder what was going through the younger Uchiha's head. He had, after all, nearly killed her without hesitation. So why was he not capitalizing on the opportunity at hand? And even earlier, why had he lunged for her and grabbed her wrist as she plunged over the cliff? Hadn't he been the one to claim he wanted to sever all bonds?

"Ki?" she heard Sasuke's voice respond. Instead of trying to kill her, he was asking her questions instead.

And yet, she found herself answering them without hassle. "It's like chakra. The ball of energy I had deflected before was a ball of ki." She couldn't seem to bring herself to look at him, so she settled for watching the dancing flames. "It's very faint, so it's hard to pinpoint. I couldn't tell you if that's due to location or injury. But at least it means he's alive."

There was a long pause before she heard him reply, "I see," before a long silence fell between the two of them. The unspoken question, however, hung heavy in the air: _Where do we go from here_?

The two of them sat near the fire for what felt like an eternity, in complete silence.

"We need to find Itachi," Juritsu spoke up, almost thoughtfully. She felt Sasuke glance at her before standing up. She looked up at him, slightly confused, as he turned to face the entrance to the cave.

"You need to find Itachi," he corrected, starting to walk away. Juritsu stood up too, taken aback by his actions.

"Oi, what do you think you're doing?" she called after him, "And what do you mean, 'you'? He's your brother!"

His steps didn't cease at the sound of her voice. "I have no intention of staying."

She was stunned at first, but her anger quickly grew. "So, what, you're just going to leave? Are you crazy?" she snarled, beginning to walk after him, "In case you didn't remember, we're on someone's hit list. You going off by yourself is as effective as a death wish!"

"And what's your point?" he shot back angrily, surprising her, "I'm the target no matter where I am or who I'm with, so I don't care!"

She broke into a run then, grabbing his arm and wrenching him backwards before he could leave completely. "If you think I'm going to just let you go off and get killed after being forced to promise not to kill you myself, then you're sorely mistaken!" Sasuke was staring at her, shocked at her words. "You're not going anywhere until I get my answers first! **We're** going to look for Itachi **together**, and if you've got a problem with that, I'll knock you out and drag you with me!"

The Uchiha was speechless as she held fast. Finally, he scowled, wrenching his arm from her grip and muttered, "Fine; let's go then."

Juritsu narrowed her eyes suspiciously before she shoved his shirt against his chest, turning and walking out of the cave herself. Deep down, she was cursing the circumstances with all of her heart and soul. How was _this_ supposed to work out? It was just like Sound Village all over again!

_You remember what happened last time_… How could she forget? The day they had sparred together set off a chain of events that'd led to…

She scowled. As if she would let it happen again.

...

"We should head back towards that waterfall," Juritsu suggested as the two of them trekked through the forest. They had been wandering for nearly an hour without speaking to each other, but some sort of direction needed to be established in order for them to execute the task at hand.

"Yea, fine," She rolled her eyes at his attitude. Whatever; at least he hadn't tried to run from her. _Not like he'd get very far_, a voice in the back of her head snickered. The silence between them as they walked together was deafening, and she hated it. But she didn't want to talk to him, didn't want to ask the questions that had been at the forefront of her mind since that night. He'd already made it clear that he wasn't going to tell her anything anyway, so what was the point?

But besides her steady anger towards him, she also grew confused. Just a few days ago, he'd tried to kill her. He never stated the reason aloud, but she'd been sure that he was doing it to sever his last bond with Konoha before going off and doing whatever it was he wanted to do with his life. That was what she thought, at first, but her opinion of him drastically changed that morning.

She'd known falling off the cliff wasn't a big deal. Originally, she'd planned to use metal wire and a shuriken to catch herself; if worse came to worse, she could always fly back up, though she hadn't wanted to expose anymore of her power. It was bad enough that she'd deflected that immense ki blast. But as she fell over the cliff's edge, she'd been stunned when, out of nowhere, Sasuke was there, grabbing her wrist. Why had he tried to save her? Even worse was that she caught him and flew back up, only to shield him from the ki blast. Hadn't she sworn to herself that he would always be an enemy in her mind?

_But you know the time you spent as his prisoner was sincere_, that annoying, nagging voice was back, and she hated that it was right. Not even Sasuke could fake what had happened, as complicated as it was. And now, she couldn't bring herself to take the chance and attack him; not after he'd not only tried to save her, but also brought her to a safe place.

She wished she could remember what it was Sasuke had said to her before she'd passed out. Being hit by Kirin was definitely one of the more painful experiences of her life. Her memory after that was fuzzy, but she vaguely recalled Sasuke's fading image standing over her, a deep sadness in his eyes. She could only remember hearing her name, maybe there was an apology too, before everything had faded to black. But she had no idea what he could've said that would've been paired with such anguish.

At this point, she didn't know what to believe. Which Sasuke was the real Sasuke? The one who'd massacred the entire Village, and who'd tried to kill her too? Or the one who had moved to save her? And what if the true Sasuke was the cold and ruthless one? What would she do then?

Because as she continued to think about it more and more, she realized that she wouldn't be able to kill him after all.

...

"Wh... what the hell happened here?"

Juritsu, at first, could only stare, speechless at the carnage on the ground around them. There was blood everything, the ki traces all over the place. But where was Itachi?

"I thought you said he was still alive!" Sasuke was snarling at her, clearly losing his patience.

"I also told you that his signature was too weak to pinpoint!" she snapped back abruptly, cutting off his tirade, "Calm yourself!"

The youngest Uchiha gritted his teeth, but he complied, which she secretly appreciated as she continued to mull over the situation. Obviously, a number of things could've happened. He could've been killed in battle, though she thought that to be highly unlikely. When she'd found his presence, there was no sign of anyone or anything around him. He could've been captured, but by whom? Judging from the amount of blood...

The most optimistic possibility was that he'd gotten up himself, and was on the move, most likely to try and reunite with the two of them. He seemed so adamant on sticking together regardless of the conflicts it would bring, after all. So, she decided, she would work under that pretense. Glancing around, she walked over to the edge of the cliff face, feeling Sasuke's eyes on her the entire time. Stilling herself and her surroundings, she closed her eyes and reached out, searching for any ki signature she could find, Itachi's or not.

It took longer than before, and she was beginning to wonder if maybe he had died when she'd finally located him. The instant she picked up on his presence, she felt a weight lift from her shoulders in relief as a small smile tugged at her lips.

"I can sense him," she finally spoke up, voice calm as she glanced out at the vast landscape, "He's alive."

The answer wasn't enough for her Uchiha companion. "Well, where is he?"

She found her patience rapidly disappearing as she snapped in reply, "If I could pinpoint his location, don't you think I would've gotten to him by now? I can't use my technique without a specific place in mind or the specific location of the ki signature!"

"And just why should I believe you!" Sasuke snarled. Somehow, this sudden realization that he didn't even trust her caused her heart to sink. Of all the things he could've thought of her, he didn't believe her? And everything she'd done for him?

"Because I have no reason to lie to you!" she exploded, no longer having any hesitation about fighting with him, "Maybe you should follow my lead and give the benefit of the doubt! Or is it that, since you know how easy it is to take advantage of that, you think I'd do the same!"

To her surprise, Sasuke fell silent for a moment. He looked like he'd been slapped. It wasn't long, however, before his eyes narrowed in an icy glare. "Oh, so you mean disappearing all those years ago wasn't a lie? The way you never even said goodbye before you up and left? And what the hell was that earlier?"

A sense of dread began to form in the pit of her stomach. She'd hoped that Sasuke had somehow forgotten about her sudden, exposed abilities due to the fall. At the time she picked up Sasuke and flew back up to the cliff, she hadn't even been thinking. The only thing that had been on her mind was getting the two of them to safety before they got seriously hurt by the fall. Prior to that, she'd never shown anyone her powers, specifically because she knew the kind of reaction it would cause. Years of watching Naruto grow up had told her exactly what'd happen if one was different from the norm in any way, shape, or form.

"What about you talking about…" she desperately tried to play it off, tried to make it seem like a minor thing.

It didn't work. "You didn't find it necessary to tell me you could fly? That isn't even human! What else are you hiding from me?"

_Isn't even human!_ His words echoed in her head, and it felt like she'd been punched in the gut. Really though, why would she have expected anything different? She was different, technically she was a _freak_ compared to everyone else. But, instead of admitting it – Sasuke didn't deserve any kind of truth from her after all – she grew defensive.

"It's none of your business!" she snapped irately.

"The hell it isn't!" he roared back at her, "I used to tell you everything – everything! You knew me down to ever last little detail of my life, and you were a stranger!"

"That doesn't even matter! We're not friends anymore!"

"I never said we were now!"

Juritsu froze, completely stunned at his words. To hear those words had a greater effect on her than she liked to admit. She knew them to be true, but a part of her still hoped. Even though it was Itachi who'd more or less talked them into being civil, she came to realize that she missed working as part of a team, and more so she missed working with Sasuke. They always played well off each other. And even after everything he'd said and done to her the past several months, she couldn't bring herself to hate him. That was why she found her eyes stinging ever-so-slightly, why she could do nothing but stare at Sasuke in shock and hurt.

Sasuke saw this too; he quickly averted his gaze. "Forget it. I'm going to go set up camp," he muttered, voice bitter as he turned and walked away.

...

This was how he wanted it, Sasuke told himself. It was how things should be. Juritsu was supposed to continue to hate him until all this was over, at which point they'd be able to finish the death match they'd started. She'd kill him in vengeance and move on with her life, while he burned in Hell for all the atrocities he committed.

Only, it wasn't really how he wanted it. He wanted to beg for her forgiveness, for her to come around, for him to be able to wrap his arms around her and touch the skin and curves that was so rightfully his. But were they really his to claim? He didn't deserve her, he knew, but it still was torturous how badly he wanted her.

He chanced a glance in her direction. Juritsu was tending to the fish she'd caught. Impaled on sticks, they hovered over the fire he'd created for her. The blaze cast a warm glow on her skin. Her expression was focused on the task of cooking their food, not even sparing him a quick look. He couldn't tell if she was actively ignoring him or if she was just concentrating on the fish. He wouldn't have been surprised if it was the former.

_"Tell me why,"_ her words echoed in his mind. He knew very well how haunting that question could be. Countless nights, for years since the massacre and even after Itachi's death, he'd wake up from nightmares, screaming "why," only to find no answers in the end. Even now, he still didn't know. A part of him wanted to go so far as to confront Itachi, now that he was alive once again.

He didn't want her to forgive him, was what he continued to tell himself. But…

The words came out of his mouth before he could even think to stop them. "I… never meant for things to end that way."

Juritsu paused in her activities, glancing up at him. She looked almost as if she wasn't sure if he'd actually spoke. "What?" she finally asked.

"I was after the Elders. That was all."

Comprehension dawned on Juritsu's face before her eyes started to narrow. "That doesn't justify senseless murder," her voice was low, almost threatening.

Sasuke didn't let it deter him. Not now; not when he'd finally decided to take a step away from his brother's example and tell her the truth. "Does it?" he calmly shot back before adding, "They were the reason behind my clan's massacre."

"Do you really think I would believe something like that?" she asked incredulous. She was probably growing increasingly angry as well, but if she was, she was doing a good job covering it up.

"I learned everything," his voice was bitter. He didn't like it. "The Elders didn't want to risk us rebelling, even with our undying loyalty to Konoha. Itachi did everything under orders. Except that he didn't kill me." He met her gaze steadily, "I should've died that night, but he spared me."

She scowled, glancing back down to turn the fish. "That sounds ridiculous. Itachi's nearly killed you several times before. And you really think…"

"Believe whatever you want," he half-snapped, cutting her off as he briefly lost his patience, "This is what I believe to be true." His voice calmed and his gaze averted to the fire, "After you left on your mission, I decided I would kill the Elders while you were away. That was all I was planning to do. But I was found out after killing Danzo, the first Elder. I told them to stay out of my way, that the Elders deserved to die. They didn't listen."

He heard Juritsu's voice, almost defensive as she replied, "You should've just stood down…"

"And what, let them execute me?" he shot back, interrupting her once again, "You and I both know that in our world, the number one rule of survival is kill or be killed. I chose my own life, just like any other sane person. And they wouldn't back down. So, I didn't either. You… were the only one."

A silence fell between them, save for the crackling of the campfire and the sizzling fish meat. There was an unreadable expression on Juritsu's face, and he could only speculate as to what was going through her mind. Perhaps she was contemplating whether or not he was being honest. Perhaps she was plotting his murder.

A part of him feared that she wouldn't believe him, wouldn't give him the one chance he desperately wanted for redemption. The other part feared that she would forgive him. He would be stuck at a crossroads if that happened, one path leading to the chance at starting over and beginning a new life, the other path involving him breaking her heart again, forcibly reigniting the hatred she needed to kill him.

"I wasn't lying back then, you know."

He blinked, nearly startled by her voice, sounding begrudgingly quiet. Truthfully, he hadn't expected her to say anything at all to him, too busy stewing in her resentment towards him to want to speak to him.

"If you'd let me train you, you would've been so much more powerful now than you are now that you've trained with Orochimaru," she continued, and he grew confused, not to mention slightly disbelieving.

"You weren't one of the excelling Genin," he replied slowly, unsure of what else to say.

"I was nothing like the other Genin, you included," she shot back calmly, staring at the campfire, "I'm nothing like anyone you've ever met."

She paused for a moment, before saying "I could've killed you the other day with one hand tied behind my back and barely lifting the other. I could've killed Orochimaru. I could've killed them all."

Sasuke stiffened instinctively at her words. She'd been holding back to _that_ kind of extent? "… How?" he managed to force out.

"I'm not human."

The words bounced around in his head before he actually processed what she said. Not… _human_? What did that even mean?

"What are you talking about…" he began to protest. How wasn't she human? She looked, acted, and functioned like every human he'd ever met in his life.

"My father," she cut him off, voice still impassive, "Was an alien from another planet. He was the last of his kind; the Saiyans. They were once a pretty powerful species, and they conquered planets like it was a simple everyday task for them. They were wiped out by a tyrant. My father killed him a few years ago. I'm half-Saiyan."

"I know my story's hard to believe, but how… how can you possibly expect me to believe you?" he asked incredulously, his mind reeling with all the new information.

Her gaze snapped up to meet his, eyes narrowing in a glare. "Fine," she spat, standing up, "Let me show you."

And she grabbed him, wrenching him to his feet, and the next thing he knew, they were standing on the cliff face once again. She took several steps away from him towards the edge of the cliff before facing him, eyes narrowed in a glare.

"You'd better hold your ground," she snapped. Sasuke didn't know what she meant. Then, all of a sudden, it was as if a light switch was flipped on inside Juritsu's body, and the sheer pressure of her power weighing down on him was like a crushing force, bowling over him like a tsunami. What was this? Was it really coming from someone who was his childhood friend once? And not once did he ever feel this kind of…

He couldn't tear his eyes away from her brown, steady gaze, not even as she began to light up, a white-gold aura enveloping her, the likes of which illuminated the cliff, the trees, even the sky. The wind picked up, swirling around them in strong gusts that kicked up the dust around them. Small pebbles began to float in the air, and around them, the earth shuddered. And that gaze, that quiet gaze… it held thousands and thousands of words. Yes, everything that he was sensing was Juritsu, and she knew what she was doing.

This was no fluke.

"What was…" he breathed, watching as the light faded and the earth calmed. Her eyes had closed, and she was exhaling slowly, as if relaxing from the effort of putting forth that energy. He nearly winced when her eyes opened, snapping back towards him in a heated glare.

"That?" her voice sounded harsh, "That was energy; pure energy. Like chakra. It's called 'ki,' and it's my source of power. Unlike humans, I have an unlimited well of it within me. What you saw just now wasn't even a fraction of my power. I could destroy this entire planet if I wanted."

The only thing he could do was stare at her, wide-eyed in shock. He almost flinched back from her as she stalked forward and reached out towards him, unsure if she was going to go ahead and destroy him like he was a pathetic bug. But just an instant later, he found himself standing in front of the campfire. She walked over to her spot from before, plopping down.

"I meant it at the time when I said I could make you stronger," she reiterated. He slowly sat down, still astounded by everything she'd shown him.

"But why?" he found himself asking, "If you had all of this power, why didn't you use it? You would've been the youngest Jounin in the history of Konoha! You could've had anything you wanted!"

She glanced up at him, an unreadable expression in her eyes. "I suppose you wouldn't understand what it's like to be a freak," she replied, her voice slightly cool, "I remember watching Naruto as we all grew up. You remember how it was for him too."

He cringed at the mention of the late blonde's name. But sure enough, he remembered. He remembered how the boy was constantly shunned and bullied, not understanding the cause of the people's hatred against him until he was older.

"When you have that kind of raw power at your disposal, you're feared rather than loved," Juritsu was watching the fire once more, her voice quiet, "It's better to hide that power and fit in with your surroundings. Otherwise, you are out-casted and hated."

Sasuke could only watch her as she watched the fire, unable to think of anything to say. The only thing that was at the forefront of his mind was that, all those years ago, when she'd said she could've made him stronger than he ever could've hoped to be through Orochimaru, she'd been right. And rather than take the word of his best friend, he pushed her aside, blinded by a thirst for power in the most easy to attain form. He hadn't gotten stronger at all. He'd borrowed power from a freak and stolen the rest from his dead brother. Had he ever obtained strength with his own hands and limitations?

As he thought about it, Sasuke's mind turned to the night he killed Naruto. And it was then that he realized it; that Naruto had been holding back. The blonde could've killed him, and yet he chose not to.

He really was as weak as he was all those years ago.


End file.
